The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1665 Secret Agreement
George Villiers was very satisfied with his own words, and even more satisfied with the performance of the person in front of him. He was now 100% or even 90% sure that he had convinced the other party.

It's a pity I won't get to meet the Emperor of Austria in person; otherwise, I'm sure I could persuade him with my silver tongue.

On the other hand, Prince Schwarzenberg breathed a sigh of relief. The other party had finally gotten to the point. To be honest, he wasn't very good at pretending, and this kind of job was quite difficult for him.

The verbal agreement between Franz and Nicholas I remained a secret to other countries. This was an advantage for the Austrian Empire, and since it was an advantage, it was something to be taken advantage of.

Britain certainly hoped that the Austrian Empire could remain neutral to some extent, and Franz granted them that wish.

However, this cannot be proposed by the Austrian Empire, otherwise it will lead to endless suspicion and a never-ending cycle of conflicting ideas.

Fortunately, everything went as Franz had predicted. The British government was not confident of defeating the Holy Alliance, so they had to attack from within the Holy Alliance itself.

Prince Schwarzenberg pretended to be embarrassed and said.

“Villiers, you should know about the relationship between our two countries, Russia and Austria. The Empress of the Empire is from the Romanov family.”

George Villiers frowned slightly; he wasn't quite sure what the other man was up to. However, he decided to go along with what he was saying.

"Your Empress is indeed from Russia, but you are the Chancellor of Austria, and should therefore prioritize the Austrian Empire."

How can we let private interests interfere with public duties?

I believe His Majesty the Emperor of your country would think the same way.

"I don't know what His Majesty the Emperor thinks, but I do know that I will definitely be reprimanded."

George Villiers paused slightly, sensing something odd about the other person's tone. He suddenly realized this might be a hint.
Indeed, based on his many years of diplomatic experience, this was very likely an attempt by the other party to solicit a bribe from him.

Although George Villiers found it absurd, it was surprisingly reasonable. After all, how could a country like Austria not be corrupt?

George Villiers had always been curious as to why Austrian diplomats did not solicit bribes.

In fact, his feeling was not wrong. At that time, the most honest department in the entire Austrian Empire was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Franz thoroughly purged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was now filled with a large number of passionate "young people" under the age of forty and nationalists.

You can call them impulsive and ignorant, but you absolutely cannot deny that they are indeed very idealistic.

Talking about money in a place where such people gather is a very dangerous thing. Once they discover that you are not one of them, they will do everything they can to eliminate you.

It is well known that the most effective form of supervision in modern business models is to allow workers to supervise each other, which takes advantage of and distorts the deepest instinct of humans as social animals.

This approach is not only efficient and inexpensive, but it also enhances the "catfish effect," continuously escalating the involution process and thus increasing overall labor intensity and efficiency. Furthermore, it strengthens the degree of domestication, even allowing humans to self-domesticate.

However, Franz did not intend to go that far; he simply hoped that the government departments of the Austrian Empire could be more honest.

Moreover, Franz was well aware of the costs involved, and that without proper guidance in a timely manner, things could easily escalate to extremes.

Therefore, Franz could not personally intervene to support such a matter; otherwise, the quantitative change could be transformed into a qualitative one in an instant.

In short, the Austrian Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had by this time formed a virtuous cycle to some extent, and a group of young people were truly capable of being fearless in the face of death while also regarding money as dirt.

The benefits were immediate: with the exception of a few with family backgrounds in scholarship (such as Richard Metternich), the vast majority of Austrian diplomats were able to maintain their integrity.

However, the downsides are also quite obvious: these people are prone to getting into trouble, especially abroad, where they are much more assertive than they are in China.

Without further ado, George Villiers felt relieved at this moment, even experiencing a sense of clarity.

Turns out I've been using the wrong approach all along. What national righteousness? What patriotism? Just throw money at it, that's the way to go!
"Your Highness, are you interested in jewelry?" "What do you mean?"

George Villiers said calmly.

“I know you have always worked hard for the friendship between our two countries. There is a jewelry salon this weekend, and I would like to invite you to relax.”

At this point, how could Prince Schwarzenberg not know that the other party was trying to bribe him? However, he really had no interest in those jewels.

"Compared to jewelry, I think gold has a higher artistic value."

George Villiers was utterly speechless; he was astonished by the other party's clumsy attempt to solicit a bribe. The jewelry could all be converted into checks on the spot.

"Who would carry tons of gold as a bribe? Don't they get tired of it?!"

George Villiers couldn't help but complain inwardly, but when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

“I also know of a Golden Art Salon, which I think you would like.”

George Villiers said with a smile.

Prince Schwarzenberg nodded, quite pleased with his skillful solicitation of a bribe.

"And what about our country's proposal?"

"George Villiers asked tentatively."

Prince Schwarzenberg answered seriously.

"Your proposal is interesting, but our Emperor is very stubborn, and it will be difficult to get him to agree to it."

I can pass on the message, but I still suggest you try a different approach.

"Another way?"

“Yes, I know your plans. To be honest, I agree with your opinion, but His Majesty the Emperor values ​​honor highly, and he is unlikely to abandon his allies in their time of need.”

But I have a way.

George Willier's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly asked.

"any solution?"

Prince Schwarzenberg smiled and then said.

"Let's talk about the art salons this weekend first."

Not long after, Prince Schwarzenberg acquired a solid gold warhorse weighing 1.32 tons.

(1.32 tons of gold is worth approximately £18.)
On the other hand, the British people finally breathed a sigh of relief, as the long-term tension and repression had almost driven the British cabinet crazy.

Even John Russell, who constantly clamored for limiting Russia at all costs, would not actually go to war with Russia without being certain of victory.

“Mr. George Villiers, you’ve done a great job. The Austrians’ willingness to remain neutral has been a huge help; otherwise, we wouldn’t know how to win.”

Although George Hamilton Gordon was still Prime Minister, his presence was really weak. John Russell almost effortlessly glossed over him, and the other members of the cabinet simply acted as if nothing had happened.

“Not at all,” George Villiers waved his hand modestly and said, “It’s just a secret agreement.”